Separable fastener



Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GIDEON SUNDBACK, OF MEADVILLE, PE

NNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOOKLESS FASTENER COMPANY, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- I SYLVANIA SEPARABLE rAsrEuEn.

Application the fastener is so arranged that when the slider reaches the lower limit of its travel, disengaging the interlocking members, the stringer carrying one series of interlocking members may be instantly released from contact with the rest of the fastener. The detachable stringer carries a connecting member'which passes through the slider and 1s arranged in a novel manner to cooperate with a connecting member mounted on the other stringer in such a way that when the stringers are brought together again the slider will draw the interlocking members into engagement in the proper order.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several vlews, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of a separable fastener illustrating one form of the invent1on;

Fig. 2 is a view'similar to Fig. 1, showing the fastener in position to be opened or closed; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are isometric views showlng details of the separable connecting members.

In Figs. 1 and 2, flexible stringers 10 and 11 are provided with the usual corded edges carrying interlocking members 12arranged in staggered relation. The slider 13 having diverging channels is-movable up and down along the stringers by means of any sultable pull member (not shown) to close or release the opposed interlocking members.

A "feature of the invention resides in a connecting member comprising oppositely disposed arnis 14 and 15 which are pivotally connected at their lower extremities by means of a yoke 16 and rivet 17. The pivoted arm 14, shown in Fig. 3, is provided with clamping jaws '18 for clamping the. corded edge of the stringerlO, and an extended portion 19 which reaches to a point adjacent the filed March 16, 1927, Serial No. 175,664. Renewed May 17, 1930.

lowermost interlocking member on the stringthe lowermost interlocking member on the stringer 11, includes clamping jaws 22 for receiving and holding the lower end of the corded edge of the stringer 11 as shown in Fig. 2, and a hook 23 which is adapted to engage the bar 20 of the pivoted arm 15. The construction of member 21 is shown in detail in Fig. 5. The long flat face of the member 21 may be fastened adhesively or in any other suitable manner to the stringer 11.

The tape 11 is formed with a corded edge 11a as usual infastener stringers. At its lower end the corded edge is doubled over at 116 and is held in the U-shaped socket 21a of member 21 by a tongue orflpartition When the hook 23 is in engagement with the bar 20 and the slider 13 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the member 21 rests in the space provided by the extended portion 19 of the pivoted arm 14. In this position the lowermost interlocking member on the stringer 10 rests in the cut-away portion 3 1 of the member 21. The guide arm 14 and the member 21 are so mounted on the stringers 10 and 11, respectively, that the initial upward movement of the slider will compel the opposed interlocking members 12 tostart into engagement in the proper sequence, shown in When the fastener is in closed position it will be noted that the square shoulders 210 on the member 21 engage the adjacent square corner on the member 15 to prevent any substantial outward pivotal movement of these parts. In the absence of some such means, the hook member 21 and the arm 15 would pivot on one another and allow the fastener to be opened up when placed under strain at this point.

When the slider reaches the lower limit of its travel, disengaging the opposed interlockmg elements as shown in Fig. 2, the hook 23 may be instantaneously freed from the bar 20 and the stringer l1 thusreleased from contact with the rest of the fastener. However, since the diverging channels of the slider 13 slide onto the pivoted arms 14 and 15, allowing the ends of these arms to protrude through the slider channels, the slider remains on the stringer 10. When'it is again desired to close the fastener-the hook 23 is slipped over the bar 20 which protrudes through one channel of the slider, and.as the slider is raised the opposed interlocking members 12 are drawn together in'the proper order. During the upward movement of the slider the connecting members may be kept straight by exerting a downward pull on the ring 24 which is attached to the yoke 16.

It will be obvious that the invention is not to be restricted to the precise construction herein shown and described. Many of the details, such as the structure of the stringers, interlocking members and slider will necessarily vary according to the particular uses for which the fastener is designed. The construction of the cooperating connecting members may also vary widely within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is l. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, and a pair ofoppositely disposed arms pivoted to each other, one of said arms being permanently connected to one stringer and the other of said arms being detachably connected to the other stringer to permit said stringers to be separated.

2. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members on their adjacent edges, a pair of arms pivoted to each other, means permanently connecting one of said arms to an end of one stringer, means detachably connecting the other arm to an end of the other s ringer, and means for closing said arms to draw the ,ends of said stringers together.

3. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slider having diverging channels movable along said stringers to engage and disengage said members, and a pair of arms pivoted to each other, one of said arms being attached to one stringer and the other of said arms being detachably connected to the other stringer to enter saidchannels to limit the movement of said slider.

4. A separable fastener comprising a pair. of stringers having opposed series 'of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers to engage and disengage said mem- V bers, a hook secured to one stringer adjacent the lower end thereof, an arm secured to the other stringer adjacent the lower end thereof, a second arm having one'end pivoted to said first arm, and means adjacent the other end of the second arm engageable with said hook for detachably connecting said stringers.

5. The combination with a separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, of a stop member including a pair of arms piv= oted to each other, one of said arms having an end attached to the lower end of one stringer and the other of said arms having a free end detachably connected to the lower end of the other stringer, and a slider having diverging channels movable along said stringers to engage and disengage said interlocking members and to pass over said-pivoted arms to permit the detachable stringer to free end of said arm.

6. The combination with a separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers havin opposed series of interlocking members an a slider having diverging channels movable along said stringers to engage and disengage said members, of a stop member includin a pair of arms pivoted to each other one 0 said arms having an end attached to the lower end of one stringer and the other of said arms having a free end detachably connected to the lower end of the other stringer, said arms being long enough to protrude through the channels of said slider when the slider reaches the lower limit of its travel to permit the detachable stringer to be connected to and disconnected from the free end of said arm.

7. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers to engage and disengage said members, a member including a pair of fulcrumed arms connected to said stringers and adapted when spread apart to limit the travel of. said slider and when drawn together to align the opposed series of interlocking members in the proper sequence, a yoke associated with said arms at the fulcrum point, and a pull member on said yoke for drawing said arms together.

8. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series, of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers to engage and disengage said members, a member including an arm connected at one end to one of said stringers and a secondarm fulcrumed to the other end of said first mentioned arm, and a member on the other stringer adapted to be connected to said second arm to align the opposed series of interlocking members in the propersequence. a

9. A separable fastener. comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slider movable along said locking members, a slider movable along said stringers and having diverging channels to engage and disengage said members, a stop member having a pair of oppositely disposed arms pivoted to eachother, one of said pivoted arms being fastened to. one of said stringers, and means on the other stringer. to engage and disengage the other arm of said.

stop member.

11. A separablefastener comprising a pair of stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers and having diverging channels to engage and disengage said members, a stop member having diverging arms pivoted to each other, one of said arms beingp'crmanently connected to one of said stringers and the other of said arms being long enough to protrude through a channel of said slider when said slider has reached the lower limit of its travel, and means on the second stringer to engage and disengage the free protruding arm of said sto member. Y

12. A separable astener comprising a pair of fastener stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers and having diverging channels to engage and disengage said members, and a combined slider stop and end connection for sald stringers including stop means for limiting movement of the slider an arm attached to one stringer, one end 0 said arm protruding through the rear end of said slider when the slider is against said stop means, a hook-like member on the other stringer for detachable connection to the protruding end of said arm, said hook member and arm havin cooperating means to prevent substantia relative pivotal movement between said member and arm when the fas tener is closed. Q

13. A separable fastener comprising a pair of fastener stringers having opposed able alon verging c annels to engage and disengage said members, and a combined slider stop and end connection for said stringers including a pair of oppositely disposed arms pivotally connected together at their extreme lower ends to/extend into the diverging channels of the slider, one of said arms being permanently connected to one stringer, and means on the other stringer for detachable connection with the end of 'theother arm rearwardly of the slider.

14. A separable of fastener stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a sli er movable along said stringers and having diverging channels to engage and. disengage said members, and a combined slider stop and end connection for said stringers including stop means for limiting movement of said slider, an arm protruding through the rear end ofsaid slider when the slider is against said stop means, means-connecting said arm to one of said stringers, a member on the other of said stringers adapted to be attached or detached from the protruding end of said arm, and means forming a permanent confastener comprising a pair nection between said member and said stringer including a U-shaped socket for receiving and holding a portion of the stringer.

15. A separable fastener comprising a pair of fastener stringers having opposed series of interlocking members, a slider movable along said stringers and having diverging channels to engage and disengage said members, and a combined slider stop and end connection for said stringers including an arm protruding through the rear end of said slider when the slider is against said stop,

means connecting said arm to one of said stri ers, a member on the other of said stringers adapted to be detachably connected to the protruding end of said arm, means forming a permanent connection between said member and said stringer'including a socket in said member for receiving a portion of said stringer, and a tongue integral with saidmember engaging said portion of the stringer.

Signed at Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, this 5th day of March A. D. 1927.

, GIDEON SUNDBACKJ series of interlocking members, a slider movsaid stringers and having di- 

